The Lake Baikal Area

These photos were taken on a full-day outing from Irkutsk. Lake Baikal is a
small ocean, with 20% of the world's fresh water. Baikal has 2500 species you
don't find anywhere else, including fresh water seals, omul fish, and one fish
that's used to such high pressure that it turns to an oil spot when it comes
near the surface. Around the lake are wooden villages, and of course, more
trees. Besides nature, the area is known as a center for folklore, notably the
village of Lisvianka. Couples from Irkutsk come to get married in the wooden
church here.

Our pleasure vehicle

Alexander, the tour guide, is beside it. Behind are rags tied to trees.

Rags and trees

The local Buryats are Mongols who practice Shamanism and Buddhism
together.

Wooden onion-domed Church

At the Museum of Wooden Architecture, a 20-acre plot with reproductions
and many original Siberian buildings.

Side view of the Church

A wooden ger

There's so much wood around that the local Buryats made a ger (felt
tent) from wood.

View of the Angara

The museum also has a sensational view of the Angara river, which flows
through Irkutsk and ends up in Lake Baikal.

The Angara

Nearer Irkutsk, the temperature has gone up a few degrees (hint: Power
Station), but luckily, it hasn't affected the lake.

More of the Angara

It's hard to stop snapping pictures in a place like this.

A village

Lake Baikal

Port Baikal

Seen from a ferry boat on the lake

Port Baikal

Closer up. Somewhat depressed and ramshackle, it's the terminus of the
Circum-Baikal Railway. In its favor, everyone we saw said a very friendly,
"Hello!" as they passed. It reminded me of a small village in
Donegal where I spent one summer.

The Circum-Baikal

My attempt at art. The railway used to be part of the Trans-Siberian,
but now is only runs for tourists during the summer.

A Wooden Village

There wasn't a good opportunity to photograph Lisvianka, the local
"folklore" village near Baikal. This picture was taken from the
train after leaving Irkutsk. These villages are haphazard affairs,
and don't follow any plan.